Mute for stringed instruments



Oct. 22, 1968 s. MELITA MUTE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed March 1,1967 awn/70k. SEBASTIANO MELITA I m A 30 A rmeuex United States Patent3,406,603 MUTE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Sebastiano Melita, 2343 S. 10thSt., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148 Filed Mar. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 619,785 6Claims. (Cl. 84-290) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention concernsthe provision of a mute for stringed instruments which is totallymounted on the bridge of the instrument for ease of operation withoutadversely affecting tone.

The mute is formed from a single sheet of resilient material. Oneportion of which is bent over the bridge and the pad of muting materialplaced thereon. A second portion supports a lever which activates themute.

Background of the invention While it has been conventional to providemutes for stringed instruments of various constructions, prior-art muteshave been relatively complex in construction, often requiring attachmentto the sounding members of the instrument, and usually difficult andinconvenient to operate.

Summary of the invention Accordingly, it is an important object of thepresent invention to provide a novel mute construction for stringedinstruments which requires no attachment or connection of any kind tosounding members of the instrument, being connected solely to thebridge, which is extremely simple in construction, durable and reliablethroughout a long useful life, and which can be economicallymanufactured and employed as original equipment with a stringedinstrument or as an attachment thereto.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mutefor stringed instruments having the advantageous characteristicsmentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is capable of highlyeffective muting action, while being extremely easy and convenient tooperate.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon readingthe following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings,which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a partial top plan viewshowing a stringed instrument employing a mute constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view taken generally along the line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1 illustrating the instant mute in operative association with abridge;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along the line3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view similar to FIGURE 2, but illustratingthe mute in its operative or muting engagement with the strings of theinstrument;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along the line5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing a blank for use in constructionof the instant mute.

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Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically toFIGURE 1 thereof, a stringed instrument is generally designated 10, andmay be a guitar, as illustrated, or other stringed instrument having abridge 11 and a plurality of strings 12 extending transversely acrossthe bridge.

The bridge 11 is of the type disclosed in my prior United States PatentNo. 2,786,382, and includes a pair of feet 14 and 15 for resting on thetop wall of a guitar 10, or the like, and connected together by aflexible strip 16. Upstanding from respective feet 14 and 15, pivotallyconnected thereto, are threaded standards, studs or posts 17 and 18. Aknurled nut is threadedly engaged on each post 17 and 18, as at 19 and20, respectively, and a bridge proper 21 extends between the posts 17and 18, over the strip 16. The bridge proper 21 may have holes adjacentto opposite ends for slidably receiving respective posts 17 and 18, andis vertically adjustable on the posts by the nuts 19 and 20. That is,the bridge 21 passes transversely beneath the strings 12, in upwardbearing engagement with the undersides thereof, and is thereby heldagainst the upper sides of the nuts 19 and 20.

The mute of the present invention is generally designated 25, and isformed essentially from the integral blank 26 of FIGURE 7. The blank 26is cut and bent from a single sheet of resilient material, such assteel, and configured to define a generally trapezoidal base portion 27having thru fastener-receiving holes 28. Extending integrally from thelonger side of the trapezoidal base 27,

and offset slightly downward therefrom is a generally rectangularmounting portion 29. At opposite ends of the mounting portion 29 are apair of generally rectangular, upstanding tabs 30 and 31, each having athru hole, as at 32 and 33, which holes are in alignment with eachother. One tab 31 may have an upper corner portion 34 bent at rightangles to the remainder of the tab, for a purpose appearing presently.

An elongate strip 36 extends from the base portion 27 oppositely awayfrom the mounting portion, and is provided on its distal end with atransversely elongate, generally rectangular carrier portion 37.

In assembly with the bridge 11, the blank 26 has its base portion 27secured to the underside of the bridge proper 21, as by fasteners 38extending through holes 28, see FIGURES 3 and 5. The mounting portion 29extends laterally on one side of the bridge proper 28, spacedly beneaththe strings 12. The mounting portion is thus disposed transversely ofthe strings 12, and the upstanding end tabs 30 and 31 are located onopposite sides of the group of strings.

The strip 36 includes a resilient arm 35 extending laterally from thebase 27 on the side of bridge proper 21 opposite to mounting portion 29.The strip 36 continues from the end of arm 35 upwardly, as at 40 passingbetween the strings 12 to an elevation greater than the strings, and isbent to extend thence over the bridge proper 21, as at 41 onto the sameside of the bridge proper as the mounting portion. The strip 36 thencepasses downwardly between the strings 12, as at 42 to a locationproximate to and above the mounting portion 29. The extension portion 42is connected at its lower end to the transversely elongate portion orcarrier 37, which is bent to extend generally horizontally,substantially conformably overlying the mounting portion. By resiliencyof the.

rleyeizrmeans-a'sgenerall-ywdesignated 45,. and is mountedon themounting means 30, 31. The lever means 45 may be formed of Wire or rodstock, and include a crankshaft 4'6 havingan offset medial portion 47,and aligned bearing portions 48 and.49. The. crankshaft 46 is interposedbetween the mounting portion 29 and carrier 37, the latter beingresiliently biased downwardly toward the former. V I

The bearing portions 48 and 49 of the crankshaft 46 extend rotatablythrough respective aligned apertures 32 and 33, the latter definingjournal bearings therefor. Thus, the crankshaft 46 is rotatable betweenits lower position of FIGURE 3,. with the offset medial portion 47 lyingon themounting portion 29, and a raised position, FIG- URE 5..

At one end of the crankshaft 46, adjacent to the bearing portion 48, maybe provided a retaining clip 50 outward of the journal bearing 30 toprevent withdrawal therethrough of the crankshaft. The other end of thecrankshaft 46, outward of the journal bearing 31 may be provided with an.actuating arm 51, carrying an end knob 52 for convenient fingerswinging thereof. The actuating amt-.51 includes an inner portion 53bent at a sharp angle to the adjacent bearing portion 49, just outwardof the journal bearing 31. The arm portion 53 is swingatlewith.thecrankshaft 46 to abuttingly engage the stop 34 upon upwardmovement of the crankshaft to limit the latter'to its upper positionshownv in FIGURE 5.

Thus, during play of thejnstrument 10, it is only necessary for theperformer to quickly and easily move the actuating arm .51 either to itsmuting position of FIGURE 4, with the pad 44 engaging the undersides ofstrings 12, onto its lowered, nonmuting position of FIGURE 2. In thelatter position the carrier 37 and muting pad 44 are stable, as thecarrier resiliently holds the crankshaft 46 downward against themounting portion 29. In the raised, muting position, the crankshaft 46may be just over dead center, and therefore stably retained in thisposition by the downward bearing pressure .of carrier 37 tending-to holdthe actuating-arm portion 53 against stop 34.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention providesla'mute construction for stringed instruments which fully accomplishes itsintended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions ofmanufacture, installation and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, itis understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within4 the spirit of the invention-and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mute for a stringed instrument including a bridge and strings oversaid bridge, said mute comprising a base secured to the underside ofsaid bridge, said base having a mounting portion extending laterally onone side of said bridge, a resilient arm projecting from said base onthe other side of said bridge, an extension on said arm passing oversaid bridge and terminating proximate to and above said mountingportion, a transverse carrier on said extension directly over saidmounting portion, muting material on said carrier and movable therewithupward into muting engagement with said strings and downward out of saidmuting engagement, mounting means on said mounting portion, and levermeans mounted by said mounting means and operatively connected to saidcarrier for effecting up-and-down movement thereof.

2. A mute according to claim 1, said mounting means comprising a pair ofspaced journal bearings on said mounting portion aligned transversely ofsaid strings, and said lever means including a crankshaft journaled insaid journal means for rotation against the underside of said carrier toraise and lower the latter.

3. A mute according to claim 2, said lever means including an actuatingarm extending from one end of said crankshaft, and stop means engageablewith said lever means to limit rotation thereof.

4. A mute according to claim 1, said base, mounting portion, arm,extension and carrier all being integrally fabricated of a resilientsheet material.

5. A mute according to claim 4, said mounting means comprising a pair ofspaced facing tabs integral with and upstanding from opposite ends ofsaid carrier, said tabs having aligned openings defining journalbearings, and said lever means including a crankshaft journaled in saidjournal bearings for rotation against the underside of said carrier toraise and lower the latter.

6. A mute according to claim 5, said lever means including an actuatingarm extending from one end of said crankshaft, and stop means engageablewith said lever means to limit rotation thereof.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 1,006,130 9/1965 Great Britain.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. JOHN F. GONZALES, AssistantExaminer.

